Soon… so that I can get my herb garden going.
Buying bagged soil is going to cost Tom and I a small fortune.
Over $70 I estimated for just this one box.
And I have several other containers and pots that need to be filled, too.
Even though we spent over $500 to fill our three raised beds with garden soil, this type of soil is just too heavy when growing in pots.
It’s time to make my own potting soil that is both lighter and more airy than garden soil.
Are you in? Want to make your own potting soil and save some serious cash?
Great if you happen to have trash bags filled with rotted leaves that have been decaying for at least two years.
But if you don’t, some substitutions can be made.
A quick example is how anyone can get their hands on some clean sand. Sand works well to increase texture and improve drainage for plants that don’t like to get waterlogged.
Even better is the addition of perlite! Perlite is an ingredient that no good potting soil can live without.
Tom acquired a bag of sawdust from the technology teacher at school, but it’s far from the “rotted” state I need it to be in for my soil mix.
So for now, I’ll have to do the best I can with the best ingredients I can find.
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The problem is that these three ingredients are lacking in nutrients.
Real potting soil, the kind all gardeners made 50 years ago would have included their best garden soil with rotted manure from the barn and leaf mold.
And yet, there’s no perfect formula.
I’ll be adding some manure, humus, sand, wood ash, blood meal, mushroom compost, saw dust and the best leaf mold I can find.
Not completely broken down but it will eventually break down in my planter box.
I can always tweak my soil down the road depending on how my plants do.
Here’s what you need to make your own potting soil:
- Vermiculite (Improves water and nutrient holding, prevents soil compaction, neutral pH)
- Compost (High in organic matter and therefore supports friendly microoganisms)
- Perlite (Improves drainage & aeration)
- Fertilizer
- 5-gallon bucket
- Wheelbarrow to mix in
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Here’s what you might want to add to make your own potting soil:
- Manure & humus (Loaded in nutrients and helps soil retain water)
- Mushroom compost (Improves clay & sandy soil)
- Sand (Lightens soil and improves texture)
- Wood Ash or lime (Helps improve soil structure & root development, high in calcium. Raises soil pH)
- Rotted leaves or rotted sawdust (untreated wood only) if you have any on hand
- Blood meal (for nitrogen)
- Bone meal (for phosphorus)
- Kelp Meal (Chock-full of nutrients)
- Topsoil (why not throw in an extra bag if you have it already lying around?)
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Instructions on how to make your own potting soil:
Not only is it bigger to mix in, but then I can just wheel it around to where I want to spread my dirt.
- Mix one part peat moss, vermiculite and compost. The easiest way is just to grab a bucket and throw one bucket of each part into your mixing container.
- Next, I added a half bucket of perlite. Can you even have enough perlite? Nope. Love this stuff for aeration!
- Add a little water and give it a good stir with a shovel
- Now it’s time to add a scoop of your fertilizer. Obviously chicken poop would be great right now but I don’t have any so I’ll have to settle for some store bought fertilizer.
- And because I’m not a perfectionist, I went ahead and added a scoop of wood ash, blood meal and sand. Then I added 1/2 cup of lime.
- Last, I threw in my manure/humus mixture, the best leaf mold I could scrap up from the garden and some compost, both bagged and natural. I even threw in a handful of sawdust, though not rotted, will break down in the pot. I stumbled across a bag of mushroom compost which I threw in a bucket of as well.
What we paid to make our own potting soil:
And keep in mind, all the ingredients have several uses so what I don’t use now will get repurposed down the road.
Take the sand, for example, what I don’t use goes right into the kids’ turtle sand box.
The bag of lime I bought will be useful for the next couple of years, a little goes a long way.
So the total price here doesn’t exactly reflect what it cost to fill my boxes, in reality, it costs a lot less.
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Ingredient
Peat Moss Vermiculite Compost Perlite Mushroom Compost Blood Meal Lime Play Sand Humus & Manure Wood Ash Saw Dust Leaf Mold |
Quantity
3 cubit feet 8 dry quarts 1 cubit foot 8 quarts 40 pounds 3 pounds 6 pounds .5 cubit foot .75 cubit feet endless supply endless supply endless supply |
Price
$10.97 $4.28 $3.98 $3.82 $3.88 $6.97 $6.48 $2.97 $2.97 free free free |
If I had just bought the bagged soil, I would have spent more and had zero product for future use.
The bottom line? I had to triple my own recipe to fill my box. But I prefer making soil in smaller batches.
After thoroughly mixing my dirt and shifting through it, I was so pleased I decided to make my own.
Both the quantity and quality exceeded my expectations, much better and cheaper than the store bought version.
Wonderful advice and directions
great
Love this site.
Great article
I never have made my own potting soil.Intersting!
Love your tips and tricks
Interesting read
Yes ….VERY interesting. Thank you so much for the tips and tricks😀
Great advice…now where are all those kids to do their share of the work? (non- computer work that is!)
So interesting and an idea I will think seriously about trying next spring.
Amazing Information on DIY Dirt- Make Your Own Potting Soil! Thank You for Sharing!
Great combo! I always have the composting parts- leaf mold and sawdust. People think I am nuts for saving it!
I like the ideas you presented! I feel happy to have options for manure and chicken/guinea poop available at no cost. And, the guidance you give is invaluable! Thank you.
I’ve never made my own potting soil. Thanks for the info!
thanks for the great info
Thanks for the great tips on making my own potting soil.
My father had the best garden when I was young.
Good info… thank you.
Seems like a lot of work, but the results would be nice.
I so love these gardening ideas thank you for all the helpful tips.
Love the articles
This is the first recipe I have ever seen on making your own potting soil. It is very helpful information.
Very insightful thank you for writing such great and informative articles.
I will pass these tips on to a friend who recently ran out and so did the store.
Interesting article. I’m blessed to live in an area with sandy soil!
Even after reading this, I’ll buy potting soil. Sourcing and storing components are tough on a 1/3 acre lot in the burbs. Beginning of the season sales and clearance sales make it dirt cheap and easy.
Thanks for the info!
The soil is the key to growing anything, so thank you for some great tips for creating some awesome soil.
big Tips on that one!
love your blog
I have got to try this! It would be a big boost for my new garden!
It sounds like a great soil mixture to plant with.
Thanks for the great tips!
Love your articles. Always much useful info. Thanks.
I’ll definitely be using these tips the next time I am getting ready to grow my own garden!🌿
Very informative article!
I definitely need to follow the directions for potting soil
Love this idea!!! Wow will be doing this or at least trying
You have the best tips
This will definitely come in handy. I live in the Carolinas where the ground is nothing but hard, red clay. Can’t wait to try all of the new thing I have been learning from your articles.
Great tips thank you
I will definitely put this to use and make my own potting soil.
very informative thanks for all the information
Great for the people who like to garden
I’ve never tried making my own soil, but will now! Soil is so pricey and I can never seem to find the type I’m looking for.
I must confess – I will continue buying bagged potting soil.
I am going to bookmark these tips. because I know nothing and need all the help I can get so thanks for the tips
Awesome!! Thank you! 🙂
A great outdoor project.
Thank you for sharing so much great advice. Will share with Hubs as he plans his garden for late next spring!
No, never made my own potting soil, but thank you for the great info. With the purchase of my new home I now have a huge garden spot, so I will be putting out a huge garden this year.
Super helpful info! I’ve made my own potting soil for years and it really does make a difference!
Thanks for the info I will use this .
Hmmmmm. Very informative. I will share this. Especially with my husband.
Good reading
My husband taught Horticulture so we know all about this!
Thank You for the awesome tips and I will definitely be buying this potting soil for my garden
I’m an avid gardener and have been buying my potting soil for years. Not anymore. Thanks for the great tips!
Great tips! I am so bad when it comes to figuring out or adding the proper nutrients and things to soil. But this will help me a lot.
always need good soil
Never made my own, interesting
This is excellent! Thank you!
i also have large raised beds that I plan on replacing soil next season. thanks for the article.
Love all your tips and tricks!
Thanks for the info.
thank you
I love gardening so much!!
Wonderful information. Would love to try making my own potting soil
I have made potting soil beforte, but it was certainly not with this precision or thought. Thank you for the info.
I’ve never made my own potting soil but it sounds like it would work great and it’s nice knowing what’s in it.
More excellent gardening tips! Thanks!
Learned something today!
I have never made my own potting soil.I congratulate you on all your hard work and recycling natural ingredients.
I think buying may be easier but good to know!!
This is great. I do not like paying for soil and it not be enough to grow good vegetables.
Gardening is really relaxing. Love it.
this is great ingo! i didnt know much about potting soil!
We could garden together
That’s amazing!!
Great article thanks
Very informative.
On top of other expenses having a garden cutting back on soil would be a big savings. I am going to make planter boxes over the winter to occupy some time while we aren’t suppose to be out and about due to the pandemic. Hopefully I can come up with all the ingredients to make my own soil. What a big savings that will be.
Awesome info thanks
Never knew the were so many different types of soil.
I must come to this site more often for tips on growing from planters.
Great information. I’ll keep all of this in mind for the future. I never thought of making this on my own.
Excellent article!
Thank you for the information!
I love the idea of making my own potting soil, when spring comes I want to try this!
That is interesting. Have always purchased at HD or Lowe’s.
Got to try it next year
Thanks for all the great information!
Thank you for the info. I have plans for my gardens now.
What a great idea. I never really considered making my own.
So needed this
Yes, we have and we even add gypsum because we used to have very heavy hard clay. Compost and rotting leaves have turned it into beautiful loam. Thank you for the ideas.
We are movng and I will need this come spring.
Such great ideas… thank you
Thanks for the great information. I will bookmark this article.
thanks for the wonderful info!
I worked at a greenhouse years ago that made their own. Yes you can save lots of money doing your own.
A lot to learn but great information.
What a clever idea to save money!
My parents need to know this.
Thank you for the great advice!
Thanks for the info.
I didn’t realize there was a way to make a lighter potting soil. This is very helpful.
Very interesting. Wishing all bountiful gardens I am in a small city apartment so no garden.
I would have loved to have read this article when I was having problems growing in clay. So helpful!
This is all great to know.
Love the tips!
My mom is dropping everything in my drive way to make soil .Christmas Cactus soil and Orchid too its what i wanted for Christmas to pot up my plant starts. Great information here which i will share in making your own..
Very interesting! I would have never thought of this in a million years!
I have never made my own soil, in fact I have never even considered it. You always have so much great information and make me a better gardener.
Spring can’t some soon enough and can then try this out!
These are great ideas and if we get moved can use
Great idea, thank you!! I love the idea of making my own soil. Have to try it in the Spring.
May have to try this. I have had horrible problems with grass growing too. So will try anything for the garden now.
I’ve never made my own potting soil but I usually have a need for a small amount.
Saving this too, so we can be ready next year!
Thank you! I learned a lot.
Love the information on this site.
Awesome advice! I will be using these tips!
I never thought of making my own but i will get busy and make some. thanks
Great information!Love your hints.
Thanks so much for the very informative article.
I will have to try this. I need to make some new beds and this would save me some money! Thanks!
Very informative
I’ve never made my own potting soil, so thank-you for all the info! It’s really helpful.
I love making my own potting soil! You provided great ideas, as well as alternatives I’d not considered. Thanks for your ongoing inspiration.
i love this idea!!!
Great information to save some money
great
I never would have thought to make my own potting soil. Thanks for sharing the tips and directions.
This is something I would love to try.
You always give such great advice, great pictures for reference. Thank you.
What a great idea! I can’t wait to try it.
I love birds and bird watching so much! They make my heart so happy!
Our soil here is so horrible, this will help us get the plants feeling better! Thank you.
I love all the tips. Thanks for the Wonderful giveaway.
Thank you I learned alot from this blog
I’ve only just recently been realizing how much of a difference the soil type impacts the plants. This blog information is perfect timing as I’m gearing up for planting.
I can’t wait to get started! Thank you 🙂
great tips and info!
every year, a friend and I make a big batch of potting soil to share
Great article with great tips! I didn’t realize there were so many different things you could mix in!
That is a beautiful bird feeder. Colors are so nice.
I am always amazed at how I did not know about gardening. Thanks for all this valuable advise !
I have never ever thought of making my own soil. I would love to try this!
Thaks for the “recipe”. I copied it down to have it on hand. Thanks.
This is great information! I buy a ton of potting soil every year and it costs a fortune. I will have to try this!
This is a great idea to make our own soil. We would know what is in it!
Thanks so much for the useful information. I’ve been a backyard gardener for decades and I’m always looking for new growing tips.
Thanks Laura for the great tips. I love anything that is purposeful and saving money at the same time. I live in West TN now and we have the red clay dirt here not much grows in it so I have to either buy topsoil or try to work up our dirt and mix in what I need for it to be a healthy environment for my plants to grow in.
I love this site as it tells m so much info i didnt know,so it is very helpful, thank you very much.
Such wonderful information and I’m going to do so much with it! Thanks!
Thanks for the helpful tint. I will pass along to my step dad who does the soil and such. Mainly during summer time though.
Thanks for all the great tips
Awesome information…can’t go wrong with these instructions!
I learn a lot from this site
thank you
Great info!
I found making my own potting soil very interesting.
I love your advice because it is so easy to follow!!
I love all the information that you have in your blogs I really learn a lot from them
I dd not realize that there were different soils for different Vegetables. Thank You
No, I buy potting soil.
Love all the ideas, tips and tricks! So helpful!!
Pretty interesting, great to know when you can’t afford to keep paying out big bucks for soil
This is perfect and just what I needed to learn about! Happy Gardening everyone!
This is super helpful information. Great DIY info
Thank you so much for posting a detailed list of what you use, how much you use, and when you use, to make your own potting soil. I am still fairly new with gardening, and it’s easy to get confused on what I need and what will work best.
Super cute and i love the different types of soil available.
I never even thought of making my own soil but so interesting to learn about. Thank yiou
I’ve not made my own potting soil, I usually buy it. I like the idea of adding the various things to try and make a nice variety.
I wish I had the energy you have, when I was young I worked at a greenhouse that made their own potting soil.
I wonder if it really would be cost effective to make your own soil.
This is good to know for making window boxes. Certainly don’t want them to be too heavy.
Water also adds to the weight.
I need to do this. My flower beds are a mess! Thank you!
What a way to save on soil costs. I had no idea there was a way to make your own and what ingredients it takes. Thanks for the info.
I don’t know about anyone else, but I would rather just go buy potting soil and save myself all that time and effort.
A very informative post. Thank you
While buying bags of potting soil is more convenient and virtually no work whatsoever there is something to be said for the cost factor. I bought everything I needed to make my own 3 years ago. I saved money but found the work involved for me made buying the bags a better option.
That would be so functional during winter months! My outdoor birds have their wings crossed for good luck!
I’m always amazed at what you and your husband do with what nature has to offer! I would have never thought of making potting soil. I wish I would have known some of this stuff when I was younger and had more energy. I do like saving money. Thank you for sharing!
Thanks for the soil recipe
I never realized there was so mu8ch I didn’t know about soil and planting. TY so much for all the great info!
This is very interesting, I never knew you could make your own soil! Thanks for the information!
That is a lot of different items in the soil.
Thank you for sharing the info!! I am so glad it is getting warmer outside!! I love to plant a garden and work in my flower beds!!
I’ll be doing this as soon as I move.
I have never made my own potting soil. This is a super article and lots of help.
Good info. I’ve never considered making my own potting soil.
You always provide excellent information and make the process simple as well. Thank you!
this is good to know thank you
This is a great idea, especially since the cost to purchase everything has gotten so high.
Thank you for all of the information! It’ll definitely come in handy in the future.
Well, I have a small garden so purchasing soil is for me. The article has plenty of helpful information. Thanks for sharing
You always have such great info and tips!
This is very useful info to know. I am going to try it
How much is “a scoop”? (For fertilizer, bloodmeal, and sand)
l love your great ideas
I really want to try this
I have never made my own but I may now thanks for the knowledge you passed on .
Lots of credit to you all that make your own potting mix. I confess, I don’t have the incentive or resources and have saved up enough to buy what is needed. I love my plants and they are doing well. I do wish the nursery folks would mark those bags of potting soil down a bit. It does get a bit costly.
Thanks for all your great advice.
win.
Great idea. I will try it too. Nice touch to include the price of ingredients.
As always, very interesting and informative.
Our soil is so poor here, this is a must!
I’m so glad I found your sight. Great information!
No I haven’t made my own potting soil.
My husband is always potting plants and constantly purchasing potting soil to find it poor quality. Thank you for this recipe for potting soil. It has made his repotting easier and better!!
Good information here and will come in handy when I have more time on my hands.
I never thought of making my own potting soil. So this is very good information.
Thank you for the info. Perfect timing!! I was just having a conversation with a friend about making my own potting soil.
this is such a help to us starting out with raised gardens
I love the idea of making your own potting soil, we use t add cow and chicken manure to our garden all the time, miss those days, I’ll be doing it again real soon.
Great info! Thank you!
This was so informative. I knew some of the ingredients I should put in, but not all, especially bloodmeal. Thank you!
Great info!
Awesome content!!!!
I live in Tennessee where we have red dirt that has to have so many things added to it to grow flowers and veggies. So thank you for sharing this great recipe for making my own soil for my planters.
Always some great new information.
I did make my own potting soil one year. I use grow bags (lots of them) so my cost was a lot higher. I needed a lot of soil. Now that most of my fabric bags have the base all I need to do is add to it to revive it every year.
Thanks so much for your great recipe to make my own potting soil. I’m definitely going to try it next Spring.
This post makes it clearer why potting soil costs so much! I do appreciate the information, though!
These directions are very helpful even for a beginner like myself!
Love this! So thankful for your posts! 🙂
Will have to try this!
Thanks for the awesome info!
Great information! I am so bad when it comes to figuring out the proper nutrients and things to add to soil. But this will help me a lot.
I bet homemade soil is better quality than soil at the store! I will have to try this!
Thanks for the info
Yes I’ve made my own garden soil well my husband did with my direction
Thank you for the great info!
Thanks for the info
Thanks for all the great info! I can’t wait to get a new place and get settled.
Thank you for another great article!
Thanks for the info! Great site!
I have earnestly made my own potting soil. Your concoction has reminded me of future options to consider! Thank you.
Best contest gifts and best advice on flowers and gardening,,,there is no one else!
Holy Moly I sure learned alot about soil. I had no clue!
You cant get enough education Very good to know more abt soil
I definitely need to step up my gardening game lol
Thank you for your great advise. I learn so much.
Thank you also for an opportunity for your giveaway.
So informative! I haven’t made my own potting soil before. This is something I need to try!
This may have just saved my garden!
Thanks! I wouldn’t even have known where to start!
Thank you for all the great information. Appreciate you taking your time to educate us novices.
Good to know thank you
Very informative, thank you!
great info, thanks
Thanks for a great article with lots of interesting tips.
I never thought of making my own potting soil. Thanks for this article.
Great article….never thought about making my own potting soil. Will definitely need to try it out soon! Thanks!
Winner
Whatever can help save money and make your own soil that is great. Never even knew you could make your own soil. We learn something new every day.
I have never tried making my own. This is great advice to save money!
Very informative.
I love gardening! From growing my own vegetables to planting beautiful flowers! Your articles are always helpful to me!
Once again, great info. Thanks,
Sandy
very informative
This is great information to have! It sounds healthier for the plant as you KNOW what’s in the soil!
Great article
Thank you for the great info. I like how you break it down in “bite size pieces” and explain the details.
No, I have never made my own potting mix.
I like this idea of making my own potting soil. I would know what is exactly in it.
Great way to keep the cost down.
I love raised gardens! It’s the best way for gardening, but I need a fence to keep the deer for eating my plants!
I’m so glad I found this site! I’m new to raised garden planting. My husband used to do all the gardening but he passed away almost 7 years ago. I moved to a new house last fall and now I’m having so much fun gardening. I think I need a gardening addiction group lol. I wondered about what soil to buy but next year I will make my own. Thank you for explaining everything so well!
Such great info to help me start my garden, thanks!
Lots of good information. Thanks again for the help.
It’s simple and timeless really. You pay for convenience, same as everything else, but this is great not just for garden boxes, but also amending your local soil too
Great info, but be careful of the mushroom it love to kill roses
This is great information! I think this would be much better and healthier than the store bought potting soil.
Very interesting and it sounds fairly easy to make your own garden soil. I may give that a try.
Thanks for the tips. The cost of soil is a definite barrier to planting as much as we would like.
Thank you for this article!
I think that this is so beautiful. I love everything about it. The style, color and the way it will stand out in my house or yard. Thank you for all the tips. I enjoyed reading and learning new things.
I have been wanting to compost but am concerned about attracting wild animals. I leave in a area where lots of bears, coyotes, foxes, raccoons, etc. live too.
I love our garden but buying all that soil can be expensive.
I love your site and all the great advice!!! Thank you so much!
Thanks for sharing.
Good recipe for the next time I need soil.
I’ll have to give it a try.
Thanks so much for posting this easy to use list for DIYing your own soil. Very, very helpful!
I love seeing directions on doing things that save money or are better in the long run. Thanks for sharing all of this great info!
Everything looks best